Results 681-700 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (10 Nov 2015)

John Kelly: It is positive that negotiations are ongoing, but I ask that they be fast-tracked lest more GPs are lost from rural Ireland.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2015)

John Kelly: I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator Norris regarding the banks. It seems quite obvious that the banks are steering people away from their doors. They are striving to get everybody, including the elderly, to use machines. We saw what happened last week and they had to row back on another effort to keep people away from their doors. I do not blame the staff of the banks but...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

John Kelly: Recently, we have seen many people object to paying water charges. They have every right to object. Couples object because it would cost them an extra €160 a year net, when one takes the water conservation grant into account. Single people object to paying €60 when one takes the grant into consideration. Others who have nothing to pay also object. The main protagonists are...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Motor Insurance Coverage (1 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister to the House. In the past year or so we have seen many protests about water charges and so on. In some cases people were asked to pay an extra €160 when the conservation grant is taken into account. In some cases the charge was €80. In many cases there was no charge at all. Anyway, we have a bigger problem with charges. The bigger problem is the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Motor Insurance Coverage (1 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: When I looked for this Commencement debate, I was looking for the re-establishment of the MIAB. I sent the request to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport initially because that is where it ended up once it had been disbanded. When my Commencement debate ended up on his desk, the Minister's Department said it had nothing to do with it. It sent it back to the Seanad Office, which...

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State. I will be brief. The Bill is very welcome and it has come as a surprise to the Irish Road Haulage Association. It could not have come at a better time. Hauliers have been on their knees for the longest time due to the spiralling cost of fuel and toll charges, maintenance of vehicles and insurance. I have spoken on their behalf on numerous occasions. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: Like previous speakers, I would welcome a broad debate on the issue of flooding throughout this country. Global Flood Solutions, a company based, in part, in Athlone, County Roscommon - ironically, one of the worst hit areas in terms of the flooding - sells flood relief products all over the world yet the Irish Government will not do business with that company in the interests of solving the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome the fact that the Association of Irish Local Government is now a nominating body and I compliment Senator Landy who made strong representations to bring this about and campaigned vigorously for it.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: Senator Ó Domhnaill referred to this as narrow legislation-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

John Kelly: Senator Norris said that it was a missed opportunity and I tend to agree with both of them. In respect of the way municipal districts were established, if I go two miles down the road in my local electoral area, I am in another electoral area or municipal district. They were meant to bring about more powers for county councillors. I have spoken to many councillors around the country and...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: The BT Young Scientist awards were announced last week. Thousands of excellent projects were submitted by students. I went to see projects from my own local secondary school, St. Nathy's College, and it was fascinating to see the level of thinking going on among young children. I listened to a radio interview with a young person from County Longford who had submitted a project. He...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I want to raise an issue I raised last week, namely, the proposed land grab in Monksland, County Roscommon, by Westmeath County Council.This is a very serious issue. We attended a meeting last Monday night at which 1,700 people were present. I sought a debate with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government last week and am still calling on the Leader to bring that...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2016: Second Stage (19 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister and commend him on the legislation. It is not before time that we start to drug test drivers, given that drug driving is rife. I hope it will be random drug testing, not just based on driver behaviour. It might even take some of our politicians off the road. I also welcome the reduction in the speed limits in certain housing estates, particularly where children are...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (20 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State. Senator Whelan has basically covered everything in a nutshell. I have visited areas in Ballinasloe, Athlone, Carrick-on-Shannon and Boyle that were flooded - these areas are always prone to flooding - and I am aware that there is no one solution in terms of solving this problem. I know one woman who has been a captive in her home for five or six weeks as a...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I support Senator Mary Ann O'Brien's contribution. The comprehensive report on the EPA was to be published on 4 November. We request that it be published before the end of next week. We know that once the general election is called, that will be the end of the report and that it will not see the light of day. I agree with much of what Senator Mary Ann O'Brien said. In 2008, when I was a...

Seanad: Public Transport Bill 2015: Second Stage (27 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I again welcome the Minister to the House. As he said, this is a technical bill, and both of my colleagues here have raised the areas of contention, which I will not go back over. I wish to mention a related matter, and it is not my provisional licence issue, which I have raised on numerous occasions with the Minister. I happened to be in the home of a hackney driver last week. I noticed...

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am not the spokesperson on energy. This Bill was supposed to be taken by Senator Whelan, who is not here, and Senator Landy, who had to leave early. I have only just seen the contents of the Bill and, whereas I broadly welcome it, I have an issue with Part 6, section 17, which according to the explanatory memorandum, provides for the removal of the...

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

John Kelly: I am not.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

John Kelly: I wish to raise again the issue of the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, the organisation which has taken over the administration of the medical card scheme. I have raised this issue on numerous occasions in the House. Since it was centralised, it has caused enormous problems for people and an enormous amount of stress for them in trying to get their full entitlement. Two weeks ago...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

John Kelly: Along with others, I take this opportunity to wish everybody who is running for election the very best of luck, whether for the Dáil or Seanad. I also wish anyone who is retiring, particularly Senator Feargal Quinn, the very best of luck and good health in retirement. I know there was some confusion over whether Senator Craughwell would run for re-election. It amuses me, however, that...